Neuroscience as a Driver of Enterprise Agility
Erich R. Bühler
Philanthropist, logosophist, founder and CEO of Hanna Prodigy and Enterprise Agility University. Author of Leading Exponential Change, Enterprise Agility Fundamentals, and The Convergence.
Leading a company-wide change is no easy task. As a change leader, you have the task of harmonizing strategy, structures, skills, and culture in a complex system of interconnected teams. And you must do it in an environment characterized by constant change and uncertainty.
It's understandable that you feel overwhelmed. But neuroscience provides insights that can help you drive successful and sustainable change. In Enterprise Agility, we have something called The Science of Accelerated Change, which encompasses the neuroscience of change, strategic mobility, and behavioral science.
Today I want to focus on some overarching concepts of the neuroscience of change so that we can get into the other two in a later newsletter.
The brain: your secret ally in change
Over the millennia, the human brain has evolved into an incredibly sophisticated change organism. Its plasticity enables continuous learning and adaptation, which are important for survival. Your brain effortlessly processes millions of internal and external change stimuli every day and skillfully regulates physiology and behavior.
As a leader, you can harness the brain’s innate abilities to make change feel less disruptive and more natural for your employees. The key is to understand the central neuronal processes and create the right conditions.
Increase willingness to change
Change upends the status quo and creates a discrepancy between existing mental models and new expectations. This discrepancy triggers local threats in the brain and activates the impulsive emotional centers—especially the amygdala. The result: reactions such as fear, cynicism or denial.
As a leader, you can dampen these reflex reactions. Neurochemicals such as oxytocin create trust and security in uncertain times. When people feel safe in their environment and supported by leaders, it calms their limbic response to threats.
Similarly, the “why” behind decisions appeals to the brain’s evaluation centers. By explicitly linking change to values and meaningfulness, you activate higher-level thinking and awaken intrinsic motivation. A great model you can use to deal with these situations is the Change Journey Pyramid.
Training flexible ways of thinking
As you can imagine, the brain is reluctant to abandon old habits or ways of thinking because it has a preference for cognitive efficiency. Building new neural pathways takes a lot of time and effort.
What can you do about this? Repeated rehearsal and practice—this is important in order to think more smoothly as change progresses. See experimentation and repetition as an opportunity for growth. Celebrate mistakes and corrections, because they are a sign that the brain is building new connections. Practice Reframing techniques, especially the ones recommended in Enterprise Agility to increase Mental Agility.
Also, leverage neuroplasticity with micro-habits that are designed for change. The brain can easily turn bite-sized actions into habits if they are repeated often enough.
Build resilient cultures
The pressure to constantly adapt carries the risk of fatigue and erosion of wellbeing. However, neuroscience shows that resilience itself can be transformative. Leaders who cultivate empowerment, belonging, and importance build lasting cultures.
Empowerment activates the brain’s extensive reward system, releasing neurochemicals like dopamine that motivate engagement. Belonging satisfies the fundamental need for connection, which is mediated by neural circuits that relieve pain. Meaningfulness—the belief that one’s contribution influences others—provides meaning by stimulating self-relevant networks.
The chemistry of resilience strengthens organizations. People feel uplifted rather than overwhelmed by change when you consistently promote psychological safety and meaningfulness. A great way to increase resilience is by understanding the 4 levels of resilience in an organization.
The brain can inspire success
You can use the findings of neuroscience to shape and support change. Structure positive experiences. Model vulnerability and trust. Support experiments. Shape perspectives through storytelling. We are planning a few talks on neuroscience of change next year at the Enterprise Agility World Community, Click here to join our Whatsapp group for change professionals and join over 1000 participants.
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